It’s that gift-giving time of year and in the spirit of the season I will share rule number one in our house: don’t buy the ApplEvangelist anything technology related unless it comes from Apple and with a receipt. Other technology items must be pre-approved and cash is always the best option. Is the ApplEvangelist a little bit Grinchy? Not at all. I prefer to think of it as being very practical. There isn’t enough time in the day or space in my house for devices that don’t get used. Before technology passes through these doors it is thoroughly scrutinized for its own merits along with how it will fit into the existing workflow.

Typically, when evaluating an addition to the ApplEvangelist ecosystem, the price tag gets covered up. It’s about how it works, not how much it costs. Ideally, the same process would be considered when anyone makes a technology purchase for themselves or a loved one. But these are the Holidays and there are a lot of cheap gadgets on store shelves. It’s easy to see how, for a relatively small amount of money, someone could make a big splash by purchasing something like a tablet for a friend, family member, or themselves. The race to the bottom has resulted in upwards of a hundred different tablets from which to choose. All of the major players are involved including Amazon, Google, and even Apple. So you’re safe in choosing the cheapest option, right?

Wrong. Seeing as this is an Apple blog I won’t pontificate (again) on the merits of the more expensive Apple products. At least not for long. There are already numerous posts on this site extolling the virtues of an Apple iPad over more affordable options. No, this time we’ll consult real world data. It’s one thing to read over and again why an iPad is superior. It’s another to see how people who have already purchased tablets are using them.

That’s where the disconnect exists. Over the last year, Apple’s competition has been pumping out cheaper and cheaper options in an attempt to secure a slice of the tablet market for themselves. And it’s worked. Apple’s market share has continually eroded since once controlling 90% of the market. Now, according to market researchers, Apple only controls roughly 57% of the tablet market. This must mean there are a lot of great tablets being used though out the US that are not from Apple.

Not so fast. According to internet metrics, roughly 91% of all tablet web traffic originates from iPads. That means of all the non-Apple tablets purchased, only 20% are actually being used. To put it another way, of every 100 tablets sold, 43 of them are non-Apple devices. Of those 43, only 9 are being used to surf the web.

In the famous words of Jerry Seinfeld, “What is the deal?” What are people doing with these inexpensive
tablets? They are not shopping or downloading apps or books. They are not surfing the web or using them to video chat. It is clear that once these tablets make it home, they are not proving to be very useful. Are these really viable tablets at an inexpensive price or merely really expensive paperweights? And is it worth the cheaper price if you or your giftee rarely uses it?

Tim Cook said it best when asked about the stigma of premium pricing on Apple products:

Price is rarely the most important thing. A cheap product might sell some units. Somebody buys it and they feel great when they pay the money, but then they get it home and use it and the joy is gone.

Are Apple tablets almost $100 more than competing devices in the same class? Yes. Is it worth it to pay a little more for a useful device or a little less for a glorified doorstop? Will you bite the bullet and ignore the sticker shock for a few minutes, or risk getting a cheap tablet home and be stuck with buyer’s remorse for months to come?

DECEMBER 2013 UPDATE

Something rarely acknowledged in tablet purchasing decisions is the incredible amount of “added value” that comes with an Apple device.

Specifically, in regard to iOS devices like the iPad, Apple includes, at no extra charge, access to their entire productivity and creativity suites. Pages, Keynote, Numbers, iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto. These apps turn your iPad into an incredible tool for creation on par with most full-fledged laptops or desktop computers (easier and better in many cases).

The less tangible value add is found at your local Apple Store. At this point, most people in the US are no further than 50-75 miles from an Apple retail location (usually closer). An iPad owner is virtually guaranteed to get any issue resolved by visiting an Apple Store. This “feature” is almost immeasurable in regard to monetary value. Through our own personal experiences, it has literally saved us thousands of dollars. In some cases entire devices were replaced for very small issues. Other situations would have rendered another manufacturer’s tablet useless (and a waste of money, regardless of how cheap). Yet, in every instance, our iPads were replaced at no cost.

Other add-ons included in the slightly higher Apple price is an enormous ecosystem of apps (almost half a million iPad specific apps), theft and loss protection, data recovery and syncing, software security and compatibility, and completely cost free updates to the operating system (even the 4 year old original iPad still receives the latest software improvements).

Without a doubt, the big box retailers like Best Buy and Walmart will try to sell you a “more affordable” tablet. But while the cost savings now is enticing, the risk of your purchase being rendered useless should weigh heavy.

Would you prefer paying $400 for a powerful tool you will use for years or $250 for what may soon be a pretty paperweight?

I hate moving. In my adult life I have moved domiciles 8 times in 15 years. Packing boxes, filling nail holes and painting, and using advanced geometry to figure out how to squeeze the couch out the front door slowly kills part of my soul with each moving truck that shows up in front of my current residence. In many ways it would be easier just to sell everything you own with the house and start from scratch. But no one wants your blender or mattress. They might need a couch but they don’t want yours. And there’s still the issue of your clothes, CDs, DVDs, photo albums, toiletries, etc. These are things you would never leave behind. Why would you? You’ve worked hard and spent a lot of time and money to find your music and movies, pick out your clothing, curate your photos, and organize your life.

So the question becomes, “Why would you do this with your smartphone/tablet?”

There are a lot of obvious criteria used when someone is looking for a new smartphone or tablet. Oftentimes it boils down to wanting the newest or cheapest device. Maybe you like having the device everyone is talking about. Or it’s time for a new phone and you can save a little money by going with a different brand. These are very valid concerns but they fail to acknowledge a (not so) new and growing facet of our digital lives: data portability.

Take a minute to look at your smartphone. How many apps do you have? What movies, music, or tv shows have you purchased? What pictures on your phone could you not stand to lose? When it’s time for a new device, are you willing to throw it all away? Though Microsoft and Google are working feverishly to solve this problem, their business models get in the way. With each new handset comes different hardware capabilities and carrier restrictions. Some of your data can be moved from one device to another but much of it will be lost. A lot of your apps won’t work on your new device because of screen resolution or changes to the operating system. There are solutions for moving photos, contacts, and music but they are rarely easy or intuitive. It’s not like packing up your house and moving somewhere new. In fact, this more closely equates to bulldozing your house with everything in it and starting over from scratch.

Now imagine buying a new home and the moment you’re handed the keys, you walk in, turn on the lights and all of your stuff is already there. The furniture arranged, cabinets full, photos, CDs, DVDs, and clothes all organized exactly as you had them in the old place. No packing, hauling, loading, cramming, and certainly no trashing.

The only platform that allows for this simplicity is Apple. Moving from one Apple device to another is virtually seamless. Yes, Apple to Apple. Moving from Android or Windows Phone to an Apple device will not afford the same luxuries. Then again, moving from Android to Android won’t either. There are faults with the closed Apple ecosystem but this is not one of them. Once you’re part of it, you will never lose those things which you’ve purchased, downloaded, or stored. If your device is lost, stolen, drowned, or crushed, you’ll simply login to your new Apple device and carry on with your life like nothing ever happened. That alone makes platform loyalty virtually necessary. But there are more benefits still.

Few of us have second houses or weekend cabins but, more and more, we have secondary devices. For those who have had the privilege of vacationing or staying away from home for a weekend or longer, you know how difficult it is to replicate your lifestyle while away from your home. There are things you can’t bring with you, different surroundings with which to acclimate, etc. Your tablet doesn’t have to behave that way. Apple makes it easy to have all of your music, movies, books, tv shows, photos, contacts, and more right on your iPad with no effort from you whatsoever. Every App you’ve ever purchased for your iPhone is available on your iPad as well. Many times in a much better experience.

If you already own an iPhone or iPod touch, there is absolutely no sense in purchasing a tablet that isn’t an iPad. You’ll only end up spending more money to populate your Android, Amazon, or Windows tablet with the apps you like from your iPhone (if they’re even available). Are some of those tablets cheaper? Absolutely. But you’ll more than make up the difference in the content you have to repurchase.

In the heat of the purchasing moment, sometimes it seems easier to go with what is cheaper, newer, or different. There are other considerations you must address, however. Do you hate having to salvage your contacts every time you change phones? Is moving your music, photos, and videos to your new device always a hassle? Does your heart hurt a little when you have to repurchase that app you like so much because it doesn’t work on your new device? Save yourself the heartache, hassle, and the money.

The excitement of a new house is quickly supplanted by the daunting task of packing, salvaging, buying new things, and, yes, trashing that which can’t come with you. And while these are necessary evils with moving, they don’t have to be when it comes to your smartphone and tablet.

In the early part of this century, Apple introduced one of the most sought after devices of all time: the iPod. It was a runaway success to the point where the word iPod became synonymous with all portable music players. After its introduction other manufacturers did what they could to differentiate their products from Apple’s. Their solution was to undercut the iPod on size and price; a noble effort completely snuffed out when Apple diversified its iPod lineup with varying sizes and entry level price points for the cost concerned consumer.

Fast forward to 2010, Apple launched another blockbuster product that created and defined a market. Two years later and the average consumer sees any tablet in the wild and immediately assumes its an iPad. Truth be told 1 out of every 5 tablet sold to consumers is most likely a Kindle Fire or Google Nexus 7. Once again other manufacturers have sought to gain traction in the tablet market by differentiating their device by size (smaller) and cost (cheaper). And once again Apple has made plans to put out that fire (pun intended).

The much rumored iPad Mini (iPad Air?) should be announced by Apple this Tuesday. The press invite states “We’ve got a little more to show you.” As is usually the case in an Apple invite, the wording gives it away: Apple is set to introduce a smaller, lighter, thinner iPad. Make no mistake, Apple will introduce a fantastic device. It is likely to be thinner, lighter, and more functional than any current “smaller” tablets on the market. It will also run iPad software and not glorified phone software, making it far more usable than other tablets and giving it access to the almost 300,000 iPad specific apps in the Apple ecosystem.

But is that enough?

If we know anything at all about average consumers, they may appreciate quality but not nearly as much as they appreciate cost. Google and Amazon have been so desperate to steal market share away from Apple’s iPad that they’ve priced their tablets aggressively, to the point that they are actually losing money on them. That is absolutely the antithesis of everything Apple believes. They make great products…and great profits. So can Apple meet them on price and still make money? Doubtful. Apple won’t hit $199 like their competitors. It’s unlikely they will even go as low as $249. But they could still sell insane numbers of these at $299. Unfortunately for Apple, the press is so fixated on price that they will likely be panned and, ridiculed if the starting price for this new iPad is anything over that $299 price tag, no matter how nice it is.

That is unless there’s something more to the story. Could Apple add some sort of new functionality to this new iPad that makes it demonstrably better than other small tablets? Revolutionized TV remote functionality? Insane thinness? Bluetooth or WifiDirect sharing to other screens/devices? Apple has played it fairly safe lately. Here’s hoping they have something mind blowing to show off on Tuesday.

But maybe Apple really does have a “little more” to show us.

If rumors and leaks are to be believed (and more and more they’ve become more accurate), some other products are getting updates, as well. And the “little” theme still applies.

The success of the 15″ Retina MacbookPro has helped pave the way for a 13″ Retina MacbookPro. This thinner and lighter notebook will be the industry leader in the category. A premium price will no doubt tag along, but the machine will represent a premium upgrade over the current 13″ offerings.

The MacMini will most likely get an upgrade, too. The smallest of Apple’s desktop computers, this affordably priced Mac might only see a spec bump to the latest processors, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt compatibility.

Perhaps the most anticipated upgrade is that which is rumored to come to the iMac. It has been more than 500 days since the iMac saw any sort of upgrade. It is definitely due for a spec bump like the MacMini but might also come with a full redesign. Losing the optical drive could allow the most successful all-in-one computer in the world to become even thinner and more powerful (utilizing the cost savings for solid state storage options).

Wishful Thinking Warning

If we had our druthers here at ApplEvangelist, they would take the MacMini or iMac a step further and introduce a whole home solution of some type. Our mobile computing has become dominated more and more by appliance-like devices. iPhone and iPads represent the majority of mobile web usage. Third party accessory keyboards, etc have helped make them viable productivity options, as well. The role of our home computer has changed significantly. No longer do we find ourselves chained behind the bulky tower and monitor after school or work. They have become more of a hub; the place where the bulk of our media is stored and the place where we back up our other devices. Maybe it’s time for our home computers to evolve.

What’s stopping Apple from combining the functionality of an AppleTV, AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule, and iMac into one device? A computer that sits in a closet somewhere and pushes TV and computer content to dumb screens throughout our house? Dumb screens being the 52″ living room panel or the 24″ panel in the office and even the small screen in the kitchen or bedroom. It could function as a server to push out movies, music, photos, etc. to our mobile devices and control what we see on the TV at the same time. It could even use wifi and Bluetooth to control the next generation of light bulbs in our house.

The technology exists. And Apple is just the company to put it all together and make it “just work.”

Personal computing is coming to a crossroads of sorts. With the rapid adoption of the iPad, many manufacturers are clamoring to introduce tablets. There is something very empowering and somewhat surreal about holding a slab of metal and glass in your hand and being able to accomplish so much. The same can be accomplished with an even smaller piece of glass known as your smartphone. These devices are becoming so pervasive that entire corporations have sprung up in their wake. But this movement hasn’t obsoleted the laptop and desktop market, yet. Almost everyone still needs a computer to slog out the heavy tasks like your taxes, video editing, dissertations, etc. But as our lives become ever more connected and centered more and more around appliance like devices (smartphones, tablets), a need has arisen for solutions that coagulate our digital life; a way to insure interoperability and create a single digital life accessible through different devices: phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop.

The two heavy hitters in laptop/desktop operating systems are, and always have been, Microsoft and Apple. For 30 years each has been trying to differentiate itself from the other ( Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS) and only now is there a clear distinction between brands. Windows has been the dominant desktop/office work environment for a vast majority of that 30 years. Mac OS has been relegated to the operating system of choice for creative professionals (hollywood, magazines, etc) during that time. But with the advent of the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007, and the iPad in 2010, Apple has captured the heart and mind of many, many people throughout the world. Since 2007 alone, Apple has sold nearly 350 Million iOS devices.

And while Apple has begun to see more interest in their laptop/desktop machines as a result of their iOS device popularity, Microsoft keeps chugging along, maintaining it monumental lead in that category. After all, most businesses still use Windows despite it’s flaws. So many programs are Windows specific that businesses for many years were forced to stick with Microsoft. And thus, because of familiarity, most home computers purchased were of the Windows variety.

But familiarity has changed. Mobile computing is the future. Now, most families in the US have at least one iOS device in their house. Everyone from toddlers to centenarians can pick up an iPhone or iPad and immediately know how to use it. Many tasks, once only achievable on a desktop or laptop, have robust, intuitive solutions on your iOS device.

So that leave the average consumer at a crossroads. Many people are familiar with Windows. Many are becoming more and more familiar with iOS. It’s not uncommon to see a family home with multiple iPhones, iPods, and iPads along side a Windows laptop or desktop. And while you can certainly be productive in this setup, most don’t realize how much more fluid and connected your digital life can be by going all in with one company or the other.

In the interest of full disclosure, we will (obviously) be highlighting why you should jump head first into a holy wholly Apple life. Microsoft, as well, is working on a way to merge your digital experiences across tablets and traditional PC’s with Windows 8. Microsoft believes you can have the same desktop software on your tablet but with a pretty skin that makes it more intuitive to use. Many have found fault in this strategy. The problem is it doesn’t solve any real problems, has few solutions for how your data is synced, isn’t released yet, and no one knows how much it will cost you.

Apple’s strategy is to maintain a distinct difference between your tablet and laptop/desktop experiences while giving you the familiarity of iOS applications and syncing your data across all of your devices. This allows you to have your entire digital life with you wherever you go; on your laptop/desktop, iPhone, and iPad. With the release of Apple’s latest operating system, Mountain Lion, anyone familiar with an iOS device can take the plunge into an Apple laptop or desktop with little to learn.

The screenshot you see above is from my personal Mac. If you have an iPhone or iPad but have never used a Mac, you’ll notice some very familiar things here. Only two of the icons above should be unfamiliar. From left to right we have icons for, the App Store, Mission Control, Safari Web Browser, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, iTunes, Messages, and TweetBot. If you use the official Twitter app on your iOS device, that icon would look familiar, too, if I were using that instead. In fact, many things you’re familiar with on iOS look similar on a Mac. With a pinch of your fingers, a Mac screen even looks like your iPad or iPhone.

You should recognize many of these icons, as well: Contacts, FaceTime, GameCenter, Dropbox, etc. Garageband, Photo Booth, and the the entire iWork suite are there, as well, hiding inside iOS-like folders.

The idea here is to make you feel comfortable with the experience. Yes, there are several other things about how a Mac operates that are different than a Windows machine. However, they are very easy to learn and make your computing experience easier.

Familiarity is good. It makes us feel comfortable. But it doesn’t really do anything to put the pieces of our digital life together. There in lies the magic of Apple’s newest OS. Mountain Lion, with the help of iCloud, works in the background to sync all of your data between your devices. Yes, that iCloud. It sounds familiar because you were prompted to create an account the last time you bought a new iPhone or upgraded the software. We’ve posted about iCloud numerous times here at ApplEvangelist.com. And while we’ve babbled on and on about how great it is, it’s hard to understand it without seeing it in person.

Let’s start with the easy stuff. That contacts icon you see on your iOS device and on the Mac screenshot above? They contain the same information. I didn’t have to do anything (besides being signed in to iCloud). My calendar on my iPhone contains the same info on my iPad and my Mac. And they stay in sync no matter which device I add an event on.

Above are the calendars (or snippets of) on my iPad, iPhone, and Mac, respectively. Though the iPad and Mac are scaled down, you can still note that the same events are appearing on all three devices.

If you’re a note taker, those sync, too.

Above: iPhone, iPad, and Mac Notes all synced. A note created on my iPad appears on my Mac and iPhone.

While these things are great for small items like notes, calendars, reminders, and contacts, the real functionality comes with it’s integration into Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. These are full, robust applications. You can create very impressive documents and presentations on your Mac. And now they are seamlessly available on any of your other devices. Below are screenshots from Pages (Apple’s word processing app) on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Documents can be created or updated from any device and they’re immediately made available on all of your other devices.

Apple has also introduced Messaging for Mac. Now you can get text messages while at your computer. Anytime someone texts you from an iOS 5 device, that text appears on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Chatting with someone at the computer and need to run an errand? Just pick up your iPhone and continue the conversation there.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on what you can accomplish by weaving your digital life around Apple devices. And Mountain Lion does more than just that. With the right settings, Gatekeeper for your Mac insures that you’ll never get a virus. Notification Center pulls all your notifications from Messages, Mail, Calendars, Twitter, Facebook (coming soon), etc. into one place for you to see. You can share a webpage or picture straight to twitter or into a message. Later this year you’ll be able to update your Facebook status without even navigating to the webpage. As well, you can AirPlay mirror your laptop or desktop screen to an AppleTV connected TV. Want to cut your cable package? This is the way to do it. Anything you can watch online is instantly available on your big screen with AirPlay. YouTube user AppleNApps has made a good demo of how to cut the cord with AirPlay.

Mountain Lion is a fantastic upgrade for anyone with a Mac (newer than 2008). $20 gets you all of these updates. But this newest operating system is for you, the Windows user needing to buy a new laptop or desktop soon. You probably already have an iPhone or iPad. The Mac is the next step. It couldn’t be easier. And you won’t regret it.